


Strange Yet Familiar

by HawkSong



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-23 11:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23711086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkSong/pseuds/HawkSong
Summary: In which Berylla Seahawk discovers she isn't the "only" Warrior of Light...This little bit takes place sometime before the beginning of Shadowbringers...
Relationships: Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Strange Yet Familiar

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in part by a prompt from the wonderful writing community at Emet Selch's Wholesomely Debauched and Enabling Book Club!
> 
> Please come and join if you've a mind to do so!  
> https://discord.gg/8C6ZKTj

I walked up to the back gate of the Borel manor, my arms full of parcels, and a couple string bags hanging from my arms as well. I fumbled the gate latch open with one hand, by feel, and let myself into the little courtyard.  
“My lady, let me help with that.”  
“Thanks, Jarilant,” I grunted, standing still so that the old steward could take a parcel or two – or three – off my hands. “I just thought I'd do a bit to help stock the larder since...”  
As he lifted away the top four boxes from the pile in my hands, I paused, blinking.  
A petite little Miqote girl was perched on the water barrel, watching me, her head cocked to one side. She had black skin, and black fur, and her hair was a lustrous black, with wide streaks of white – yet she was clearly young and vigorously strong.  
Her amber eyes gleamed with curiosity, intelligence, and humor. Something about her...  
But Jarilant distracted me from my examination. “Gracious, my lady! You do not have to help supply our house...you are a guest!”  
“I'm a family member, or near enough as makes no difference,” I retorted. “And anyway, if I'm going to ruin Milinne's kitchen with trying to learn pastry making, I can at the very least replace all the sugar I burned! Now stop being silly, and let's get this stuff put up, okay?” I grinned at him, saucily. “Besides, I also got your favorite apples and Milinne's cider vinegar she's been unable to otherwise obtain.”  
He closed his mouth, though his brows still knitted a little, and he turned to the stranger on the water barrel. “I'll be right back, miss Kevala.”  
“I'll be here,” the girl replied with a small smile. Her voice made my nerves shiver with appreciation – a singularly lovely voice indeed.  
Jarilant stepped inside, and held the door for me. Once we were in the kitchen, putting away parcels under Milinne's supervision, I asked casually, “Who's that, Jarilant?”  
He wouldn't meet my eyes. “A friend. Her name is Nightbird Kevala.”  
“Just a friend?” I teased, my voice shivering with suppressed laughter.  
Milinne poked me in the arm. “Just a friend, my lady. She's been here very rarely. She's an adventurer – like you – but she spends more time away from Ishgard than in the city.”  
“An adventurer?” I blinked. “I don't recognize her though.”  
Jarilant cleared his throat. “She appears to spend a deal of time traveling to performances.”  
I considered that. “I'm assuming Aymeric knows of her visits.”  
“Yes, I do.”  
My head turned and my smile was instant. “Aymeric.” I went to him immediately and collected a warm hug. “Home early?”  
He pressed his temple to mine, and sighed. “Not home for long, more's the pity. We've called a short recess, to let tempers cool.”  
“Another argument? Should I ask?”  
“The less said the better.” His lips twisted a little. “Though I appreciate your willingness to listen. I know how you hate politics.”  
He looked past me to Jarilant. “Is Nightbird still sitting out there, then?”  
“She claims to like that spot,” Jarilant answered, sounding mildly defensive.  
“Do you want me to go ask her to come in?” I offered. Aymeric smiled down at me and gave me a peck on the cheek.  
“Certainly.”

The tall Roe woman walked back out into the courtyard. “So you're Kevala, they tell me.”  
Nightbird's amber eyes met green, and she showed a hint of fang as she smiled. “And you're Seahawk. Good thing I'm not the sort of cat that prefers birds, no?”  
Her ponytail shifted as she tilted her head. “Who are you?” Seahawk asked. “Not just the name...there's something...strange about you.”  
Nightbird hopped off the barrel, and looked up. The rippling muscles, the gleaming axe riding on her back – Berylla Seahawk looked every inch the intimidating Warrior. But Nightbird felt no fear. She knew this woman, or rather, had known her in the past...and intended to make sure that Berylla remembered her, one way or another.  
“Strange? Or familiar?” she asked, crossing her arms. Her tail lifted, waving about a bit, and her ears flicked twice as she waited for the taller woman to answer.  
Berylla set one hand on her hip and looked at the bard, considering. “I'm not sure,” Berylla told her honestly.  
Nightbird reached into her belt pouch, and held up a crystal in her palm.  
Berylla's mouth dropped open, her green eyes going blank with shock.  
“What...?”  
“Marius was right,” Nightbird murmured. “You have forgotten.”  
Green eyes flew to amber.  
Nightbird's smile was gentle, but her words seemed to rattle the tall Roe. “I think perhaps you want to be sitting down for this explanation, Berylla Seahawk.”

I found myself inside, sitting on one end of Aymeric's couch, with the tiny Miqote woman on the other end. She'd spoken to Aymeric – a conversation I couldn't hear – and then brought me in here, quite as if she knew the house as well as I did.  
“Let me sing you a song,” she said quietly.  
“I hardly think this is a time for entertaining me,” I began, but she leveled a look at me that made me snap my mouth shut.  
Then, she began to sing.  
There weren't any words – or rather, the words were entirely secondary to the meaning. My eyes widened as I listened – and was drawn into that amber gaze and beyond my own body.

The place of stars – the aetherial sea. Two beings floated there, within arm's length of each other.  
Nightbird clothed her spirit form in simple clothes, her feet bare and her hair fluttering in a breeze that wasn't really there. She regarded Berylla steadily, noticing how the big Roe woman was exactly the same here as she was in the “real” world – her mind took most things literally, as always.  
Her song continued – well able to manipulate reality in this place, Nightbird kept the melody up with a twist of her mind, and spoke as the notes floated about them.  
“You've been working mostly alone for a long time, it's true,” Nightbird said, her voice firm. “But you haven't been paying proper attention to your own legends, or even to the histories as people remember them. I'm guessing you believed you were the Warrior of Light, singular, correct?”  
“Well, yeah. It seemed obvious. No one else has...but...”  
“There aren't many of us,” Nightbird allowed, “and some of us won't ever meet. It's a wide world, after all. There are Warriors in every land, every nation, but many of them work in the smaller scale, local heroes and not ones lauded across six nations.”  
Berylla's skin flushed pink. “I wasn't chasing the fame, you know.”  
“Of course not. I was, but not fame as the Warrior of Light.” She lifted her delicate shoulders. “I've been working longer than you have in this world, this life. I watched you rise through the ranks, in fact, though you hail from Limsa, and I from Gridania.”  
“And you...what do you know about me?”  
“Less than Marius does,” Nightbird laughed. “I promise. And I've avoided the Scions as much as I can, though I've aided their efforts in various ways.”  
“I don't understand. At all.”  
“You already know you've been alive more than once.” Nightbird shrugged again. “So have I. And you and I, dear Berylla, have been friends in most of those past lives.”  
She felt the shock, as much as saw it. The Roe woman fell back from her a pace, quite as if there was an actual floor beneath her feet.  
“How can that be? Why wouldn't I remember?” Berylla demanded.  
“I can't tell you that,” Nightbird answered. “In this place, though, I also can't lie – and neither can you.”  
“I know.” Berylla frowned darkly. “I've been in here before. I know what – or where – this is. But I've...I've seen my pasts before, and I didn't see your face.”  
“Oh? Tell me about it. Please.”  
Berylla slowly told the tale of her vision hunting and its result. Even trying to skim over what she could, tears streaked her face after.  
But she saw tears on Nightbird's face as well, and blinked in mild surprise.  
“You were looking for lovers, and family,” the bard said softly. “Not for me. That is as it is, and no I'm not hurt,” she added, seeing Berylla's expression. “But I want you to remember now.”  
“I don't know how to do that,” Berylla answered quietly. “You seem...very in control, here.”  
“Yes. I've worked at it quite a lot. You've never been all that comfortable with the arts magical.”  
“No.” Berylla shook her head. “It's confusing to me.”  
“You're lazy,” Nightbird teased.  
“Hey! Just because I can do math doesn't mean I find it fun, okay!”  
And as Nightbird's laughter rang out, Berylla started to chuckle as well – then gasped.  
“There,” the bard smiled. “There. You're beginning to remember at last. This is why I wanted you sitting down.”  
“I...we were family once.”  
“Adopted, but yes.”  
“How did I...why...”  
“Breathe, sister. Breathe, let it go. There's nothing to hurt over, here. No tears. All our memories are good ones.”  
“Not all...”  
“Look away from death, you lovely fool. Look at the lives we've had – at the good you did for me, and I for you. Stop wallowing so much.”  
“I can't help it.”  
“True, but you can try.”  
Berylla stared into her face, then suddenly came close. “Why didn't you find me sooner, anyway?”  
“Because I was busy, and I didn't realize how badly you needed a friend, a plain friend. If I'd known that, I would have been by your side months ago at least.”  
“And now?”  
“I'll be around. I've never been the type to need constant companionship, after all. That's always been more your thing.”  
“I'm not needy.”  
“Yes, yes you are.” Nightbird grinned a little. “And I'm sure Aymeric loves it.”  
Berylla went stiff.  
“Oh, calm down. I've been with him, yes, once or twice – and memorable though it was, he's not for me. Estinien...”  
“Oh. Oh.” Berylla relaxed, then suddenly grinned. “Yeah, you can have him.”


End file.
